Single-and double-track conveyer system



Feb. l9, 1952 A. G. ROSE 2,586,264

SINGLE- AND DOUBLE-TRACK CONVEYER SYSTEM Filed June 10. 1946 3Sheets-Sheet 1 A TTOR/VE K Feb. 19, 1952 G. ROSE SINGLE- ANDDOUBLE-TRACK CONVEYER SYSTEM 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 10, 1946 N VENTOE An dr 219G. Rose 1952 v A. G. ROSE I 2,586,264

SINGLE- AND DOUBLE-TRACK CONVEYER SYSTEM Filed June 10, 1946 3Sheets-Sheet :5

1 I IIJHIHH IN V EN TOR.

I Andrew G. Rose JI'TORNE.

Patented Feb. 19, 1952 v UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE SINGLE- ANDDOUBLE-TRACK CONVEYER SYSTEM Andrew G. Rose, Detroit, Mich., assignor toJervis B. Webb Company, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Thisinvention relates to overhead trolley conveyor systems and has for itsprincipal object to provide a conveyor system that will permitrelatively long and narrow loads to be carried lengthwise on a singletrack throughout a portion of the conveyor, system and to be carriedwidthwise on a double track throughout other parts of the system.

In a conveyor system developed to handle long and relatively narrowloads, such loads are frequently supported at each end by a separatetrolley adapted to run along a single track. This permits such loads tobe carried lengthwise through relatively narrow passageways which may beadvantageous where they are being transported from one area of the plantto another at a relatively highspeed. However, in order to provide forthe most efiicient utilization of plant space, it is often desirable tocarry such loads throughout other portions of the conveyor system in awidthwise rather than lengthwise manner. Examples of cases where achange from lengthwise to widthwise travel might be desirable are verynumerous, and the oven conveyor chosen for the purpose of illustratingthe present invention is merely representative of a large number of suchuses.

The principal object of the present invention, as noted above, is toprovide a means for transferring a load carried lengthwise on a singletrack by two longitudinally spaced trolleys to a double track whereonthe load may extend transversely across and be carried widthwise alongsuch double track.

Another object of the invention is to provide a turntable at thejuncture of the single track with each side of the double track.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for simultaneouslyrotating such turntables from single track to double track positionafter the load carrying trolleys have passed onto such turntables.

Another object of the invention is to provide power driven means formoving the trolleys after they have passed onto the double track.

These and other objects of the invention will appear more clearly fromthe detailed description of a particular embodiment of the invention andfrom an examination of the drawings forming a part hereof and wherein,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a double track oven for moving load carryingtrolleys along the double track.

'- omitted from the view.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the oven conveyor shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan view of the turntable layout shown at theright-hand end of Fig. 1, but with the center portion omitted and theview compressed in the area of omitted structure;

Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the pulley and winch means used inrotating the turntables, taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation of a section of oneside of the double conveyor track and the lower chain track showing aconveyor trolley and driving chain in running position thereon takenalong the line 5-5 of Fig. 1, the outer channel members of each trackbeing Fig. 6 is an end elevation taken along the line 6--6 of Fig. 5,but including the outer channel members omitted in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged end elevation taken along the line 'l-'l of Fig. 1showing a pair of load supporting trolleys approaching the turntableswhich are in receiving position.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to that shown in Fig. 7 with the loadsupporting trolleys on the turntables which are rotated to a positionfor transferring the trolleys to the double track.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the particular example chosen to illustratethe use of my invention is an oven conveyor for handling relatively longand narrow loads as noted above. The side walls ll! of the oven may beof any desired length and are shown with their central portion omitted.The single track portion ll of the conveyor line leading in from a mainsingle line track comprises two opposed channel members. Two turntableslZa and I2!) are interposed in such single track on which are attachedsections of track [la and l lb which may be brought into alignment withthe track I I. As most clearly shown in Figs. 1, 7 and 8, by revolvingthe turntables IZa and I2?) 90, the track sections Ila and I lb attachedthereto are respectively brought into alignment with each side l3a and13b of a double track which passes through the oven Ill and on theopposite side thereof leads into turntables Ma and 14b which arelikewise provided on their lower surface with track sections |5a andH52) which may be brought into alignment with the double track membersIto. and HI) as wellas with an exit track IS.

The turntables in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 7 permit a loadsuspended from two trolleys, which are longitudinally spaced at distancesubstantially equal to the distance between the centers of turntables Inand [2b, to pass onto such turntables whereupon each of the turntablesmay be revolved 90, as shown in Fig. 8, in order to joint the tracksections Ho and Nb with the double track members 1311 and I31). With theturntables in this position the trolleys may be manually moved onto suchdouble track with the loading extending transversely between the doubletrack members.

Rotation of the turntables at the end of the double track, as mostclearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4, is accomplished by means of flexiblepulley lines Ila and I'll) passing around the circumference of theturntables, the ends of which pass over pulleys lBa and lBb- Thecorresponding ends Mia and IE2) of the pulley lines Ila and llb areattached to one end of a single pulley line 20 by means of a triangularspacer 2|. The flexible pulley line 20 passes around a winch 22 and atits other end is attached to the other corresponding ends 23a and 23b ofthe pulley lines Ha and Ill) by means of a similar spacer 23. The winch22 is rotatably journaled in a bracket 25 and is provided with a wormwheel which is engaged by the worm 2E and actuated by a chain fall 2?.

Any slippage of the lines Ila and 11b is prevented by attaching suchlines to the turntable at one point with bolts 28a and 281;. It may beseen from the above description that operation of the chain fall 21 willcause a simultaneous equal rotation of both turntables at once and thatthe turntables may be rotated 90 in either direction depending on thedirection in which the chain fall is actuated.

After the load carrying trolleys have, been manually moved onto thedouble track, power driven means are provided for moving the trolleysand their loads into and through the oven. Such power driven meanscomprise a driving chain 36 mounted above each side 13a and 13b of thedouble conveyor track. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, driving chain tracksincluding a lower track 38 and upper track 3| extend between a drivingsprocket 32 and an idler sprocket 33 above each side 13a and I3!) of thedouble conveyor track. A driving shaft 34 is connected at either end tothe driving sprockets 32 and the driving shaft 34 is driven through aseries of suitable reduction gears by a motor 35. By this means each ofthe driving sprockets 32 is simultaneously driven at the same speed.

The endless power chain 36 travels around the driving and idlersprockets 32 and 33. The power chain 36, of the type variously calledKeystone, rivetless or Weston chain and originally disclosed in theWeston Patent No. 870,704, comprises a plurality of alternately arrangedcenter links 362) and side bars 360, as most clearly shown in Fig. 6.Each center link 3612 consists of a member having an elongated slot ateach end. A pair of side bars 360, each having an elongated slot at eachend, is pivotally connected to each end of the center links by headedlooking pins 3'5, the heads seating in a transversely extending recesson the outer face of each end of said side bars 360. is spaced intervalsspecial locking pins 31a are provided with cylindrical extensions toserve as journals for rotatable chain wheels 33. The lower chain, track38. and upper chain track 31-, each constructed. of pposed structuralchannel members similar to those used for the. conveyor track members13a and i311, serve to guide the power chain 33, the upper and lowerflanges of such channel members providing a track for the; wheelstflIto. ride on. Pusher dogs 39 are suitably carried by the chain 36 atlongitudinally spaced intervals and extend downwardly between the lowerflanges 40 of the lower chain track 30.

The load carrying trolleys 41 are each provided with a pair or pivotallymounted dogs 42 weighted at their lower ends in a manner causing theiruppers ends to normally extend between the upper flanges of the conveyortracks I311, I315 in which position a.driving dog 39 entering betweenthem from either side will rotate one of the dogs 42 inwardly whileoutward rotation of either of the dogs 42 is prevented by a positivestop contacted by the lower weighted ends. The lower chain track 30 ispositioned parallel to each of the conveyor tracks l3a, I3b and isrelatively spaced with respect to such conveyor tracks soas to providefOr an overlapping driving engagement between the pusher dog 39 and oneof the dogs 42 whereby movement of the chain 36 is imparted to thetrolleys 4| and loads suspended therefrom. Each trolley 41 is providedwith two pairs of rotatably mounted wheels 43 to run along the lowerflanges 44 of the conveyor track.

The driving dogs 39 in each of the driving chains 35 are positionedexactly opposite each other. Thus, when a transversely extending loadsupported by a pair of trolleys "ii is manually moved onto the doubletrack 13a, l3?) to a position beneath the idler sprocket 33, a drivingdog in each of the driving chains 33 above the double conveyor trackwill simultaneously engage dogs 52 provided on the respective trolleys4i and thereby move the trolleys with their common load into the oven ina widthwise manner.

It is to be noted that each'of the trolleys H provided with a swivelconnection 45 for connecting them to the load supporting members d6whereby the trolleys may be rotated on the turntables relative to theload carried by a pair of such trolleys.

Thus, it is seen that by the conveyor system describedv above, theadvantages incident to conveying relatively long and narrow loads in alengthwise manner at relatively high speeds throughout certain portionsof a plant may be preserved while providing for widthwise conveyance inperforming certain operations where such conveyancev will result inconservation and maximum utilization of plant space as well as economyin the construction of facilities for performing such operations.

While a particular application and embodiment of my invention has beendescribed above, it will be understood that numerous changes in the.detailed construction might be made without departing from the spirit ofthe invention as set forth in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In an overhead trolley conveyor system wherein elongated loadssupported by two spaced trolleys are moved between single tracks for1ongitudinal movement and double tracks for lateral movement through theuse of turntables at the juncture ofsingle and double tracks, means forefiecting a synchronized and simultaneous movement of a pair of saidturntables from one track position to another comprising equal sheaveson each ofsaid turntables having coincident axes of rotation withsaidturntables, a flexible line pass;- ing around each of said sheavesactuable from a single drive to effect simultaneous rotation of saidturntables.

2. In an overhead trolley conveyor system wherein elongated loadssupported by two spaced trolleys are moved between single tracks forlongitudinal movement and double tracks for lateral movement through theuse of turntables at the juncture of single and double tracks, means forefiecting a synchronized and simultaneous move ment of a pair of saidturntables from one track position to another comprising equal sheaveson each of said turntables having coincident axes of rotation with saidturntables, a separate flexible line passing around each of saidsheaves, a third line having its ends connected respectively tocorresponding ends of said first mentioned lines, and a single driveadapted to actuate said third line and thereby effect simultaneousrotation of said turntables.

3. A turntable drive as set forth in claim 1 wherein the line passingaround each sheave is adapted to contact an arc of such sheave in excessof its arc o'f-travel and wherein said line is positively connected tosaid sheave at at least one point in a manner preventing any possibleslippage therebetween,

said point of connection lying within the arc of said sheave which is incontinu ous contact with said line throughout the travel of saidturntable between its alternate positions ANDREW G. RosE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 692,604 Bourke Feb. 4, 1902777,747 Robb Dec. 20, 1904 951,831 Morrison Mar. 15, 1910 9555884 Jordenet al Apr. 26, 1910 1,345,851 Hassler et a1 July 6, 1920 1,920,774 WebbAug. 1, 1933 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 354,079 France Sept.11, 1905

